


Fic Where Mari is Problematic

by ranissupercool



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: F/F, Kissing, jealous people doing dumb things, kabedon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22944883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ranissupercool/pseuds/ranissupercool
Summary: Mari kisses Riko and stuff. No one is happy with this.
Relationships: Matsuura Kanan/Ohara Mari, Sakurauchi Riko/Takami Chika
Comments: 3
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is dumb

“So you and Mari are like, really close, huh?”

Kanan raised an eyebrow as she stared forward at Chika, who sat across the table from her. Although they were in the school library and meant to be studying-- Chika especially-- it seemed she had something else on her mind.

That, or she was simply making small talk as an excuse to not study. Both could probably be likely. Kanan decided to respond anyways, albeit with a very simple answer and a shrug. “Well, yeah. Have been for a while. Why?”

“It’s just…” Chika rested an elbow on the table, chin in her hand. “I was thinking, it would be really great if I could be that close with Riko, y’know?”

“You think?”

Kanan was given a vigorous nod to the simple question. Clearly, this was going somewhere. “Yeah! Do you think you could give me advice?”

“Advice…” Kanan furrowed her brow slightly. “On becoming closer with Riko? I don’t know… Considering you’ve known each other for less than a full year, I’d think you’re already really good friends with her in that time. Aren’t you?”

“Well yeah, we are, but not the same way as you and Mari!”

“I mean, I guess not, but…”

“Okay, um, if I have to just come out and say it…” Chika, likely sensing Kanan’s utter confusion, gave an oddly shy chuckle. Really, what was this about? “I... wanna know how you asked Mari out.”

Chika fidgeted, poking her fingers together as Kanan registered what was asked, the unexpectedness of the question making the process just a bit _slow_.

“...What? Asked her out? I don’t know what Mari told you, but whatever it was, she was probably making things up.”

“N-No, Mari didn’t say anything! Sorry, are you guys, like, on the DL? I didn’t realize--”

Kanan quieted Chika with a raised hand. “Chika, I… have no idea where you even got the idea that we’re dating…”

“Well… I thought it was obvious? I mean, the way you two act with each other… I never really saw you act that way in the past around anyone! Although I guess I never even saw you hanging out with Mari or Dia before I started high school… I was super surprised to hear how close friends you guys all were.”

“I mean, it’s always been like that between us… It was just hard to hang out outside of school because of Mari’s parents, and then she went to study abroad…”

Chika’s eyes practically sparkled, and she grinned widely. Kanan had a sinking feeling that this misunderstanding was just deepening... “Wow, you’ve been in love with each other for that long? That’s so cute...! Why didn’t you ever tell me, Kanan? Was it because your love is forbidden and stuff, so you had to keep it a secret?”

“Tha-- That’s not what I meant!” Kanan could feel her face starting to heat up, and she really hoped she wasn’t visibly blushing. This was just embarrassing! “I’m trying to say we’re _not_ dating and we’re _not_ in _love_ with each other! A-- And I don’t even treat her that much differently from my other friends, so…”

“Eh? Kanan, are you… a tsundere?”

“No, Chika!” 

Before Kanan could continue, the two could hear an abrupt slamming noise which drew their attention to the front desk where Hanamaru sat, staring at both girls with a scolding expression usually just reserved for Yoshiko. Whoops, right, they were in the library…

Kanan frowned, but she turned back to Chika and lowered her voice. “She’s just really affectionate and stuff. It’s not like she wants to _date_ me…”

“What if she does?”

“Excuse me?”

Chika tilted her head. “What if she does want to date you? If she did, would you?”

“If she really did, I’m sure she would have said something by now… given the type of person Mari is.”

“But what if, Kanan? C’mon, even just hypothetically?”

“Geez… You’re really pushing it, Chika. Look, I don’t… I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it. Not much, anyways…”

“S-Sorry. But… if that’s the case, you do like her at least a little bit, right? ‘Cause if you didn’t, you wouldn’t even consider it and you’d just say no.”

“Well…” Kanan let out a sigh. She wasn’t sure why Chika was so persistent… but it wasn’t like she was wrong, either. “Maybe. But really, what does it matter? You just wanted to… get closer to Riko, was it? You want to get close in _that_ way, then?”

“E-Eheh… Yeah… I thought you were dating Mari, and I figured you’d have been the one to ask her out, so I thought I’d get some advice from you. But I guess not… I mean, that’s okay, though! No biggie, heh…”

“Why don’t you just… ask her?”

“H-Huh?”

“Ask her out.”

Oho, was Chika blushing? That was new. She didn’t often get embarrassed or flustered-- certainly not talking about romance. Although come to think of it, as far as Kanan knew, this could’ve very well been Chika’s first time having a crush on someone…

“I-- I don’t know… I mean, it’s not _that_ easy! I wanted to talk to her about it, but I get all nervous and stuff… and besides, what if she doesn’t like me like that? She might feel all awkward around me, and I don’t want that…”

“You still asked me for advice on asking her out, though…”

“Well, yeah… I’m nervous and kinda scared, but if I’m always like that with people I like, I might never get anywhere.”

It was a fair point. Honestly, Kanan hasn’t expected that Chika would put so much thought into such a matter.

Or any at all, like with many of the things she did and said. Chika was somewhat like Mari in that regard… Although both of them, Kanan had found lately, did think about their actions a lot more than they’d initially let on.

“Well… I’m not sure what advice you could even be given, really. I guess if you want to make sure it goes as well as it can… practice it? Sort of like practicing a speech or a presentation for school. You’d be more confident when you know what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it.”

“Huh… That’s actually pretty good advice, Kanan.”

“You think?” The suggestion was really just the first thing she’d thought of, but if Chika was happy with it, she’d take it. “Does that mean we can go back to studying now?”

“Wait, um…” Again, Chika bashfully poked her fingers together, apparently hesitant. “...Can you help me practice?”

“...Practice asking Riko out?”

Chika nodded.

“Can’t you ask someone else? I’m sure You would be happy to help.”

“Um… For some reason, You doesn’t seem to like when I gush about Riko and stuff. I think it makes her uncomfortable. I don’t think asking her would be a good idea-- but I guess I could ask Mari, maybe...”

“I-- I’ll help. But it’s going to be after we finish studying, okay?”

“You’re the best, Kanan!”

The two barely got anything done because Chika’s normally bad attention span seemed to be even further weakened by her mind being stuck on the whole Riko thing. Because of that, they ended the session earlier than intended. Kanan really hoped they could get this over with soon… not only so that Chika would stop worrying so much, but so that her grades didn’t suffer from an innocent crush.

“Okay, you be Riko.” The two sat outside the diving shop, Kanan drinking a grape soda and Chika a peach tea. Kanan still wasn’t sure about this whole “practice” thing, but she did want to at least try and help her friend.

“Alright, I’m Riko then. Hey Chika?”

“Hm?”

“Have you finished those lyrics I asked you to work on?”

That got Chika flustered. “N-- No, not like that, Kanan! Geez… You can be such a meanie sometimes.”

“I’ll take that as a no,” Kanan replied with a chuckle.

“A-Anyways, let’s start over. I’m gonna go first, okay?”

“Fire away.”

“...”

“...”

“...”

Kanan quietly cleared her throat.

“H-- Heeyyy, Riko…”

“Um…”

“I-- I felt put on the spot, okay!?”

At the outburst and at Chika’s silly pouting, Kanan laughed. “Just relax, will you? If you talk to her like that, she’s going to think something’s wrong.”

“I know, I know… Ahem. Okay, so-- Hey Riko, wanna go out!?”

“T-Talk about straightforward…”

“Ehh? Is that no good either?”

“Man…” Chika really didn’t know what she was doing, did she? Not that Kanan had been expecting her to. “I’m not sure… but I don’t know how receptive someone like Riko would be to suddenly being asked that…”

“Um… Then…” Chika thought. For about two seconds, then she had a brilliant idea… or so Kanan guessed from her expressions, anyways. “Show me!”

“How to ask her out?”

A nod. “Yeah! I’ll be Riko. Or I guess Mari?”

“R-- Riko is fine. Different people respond better to different approaches, anyways.” She doubted that Riko and Mari had many of the same interests in that regard. “As for what she would like… I sort of have an idea, maybe… Chika, do you mind standing up?”

“Hm? Oh yeah, sure.” With an inelegant scrape of her chair against the floor, she stood.

The next thing Chika knew, her back was against the wall of the shop, Kanan bracing an arm against said wall and leaning in… really closely.

Whoa. 

“Hey Riko, have you ever thought about the two of us being… a bit more than just friends?”

“...K-Kanan, I--”

The two heard a thud nearby, and so their heads automatically turned to the source of the noise…

Only for them to see Mari and Riko kissing rather intensely right by the shop.

Oh. Huh.


	2. Chapter 2

“That’s weird… Do you think they already left?”

“Aw, what? Kanan wouldn’t leave me behind like thaat~”

Riko frowned, stepping past Mari and into the library. Kanan and Chika had said they’d be studying here together… She wasn’t sure about Mari, but Riko had stayed late doing some painting on school grounds, so she figured she could head home with them. But…

“Well… If they’ve finished up already, we’ll probably just meet them at the bus stop. So I guess it’s not a big deal…” She spotted Hanamaru still at the front desk, leaning over with her head resting in her arms. Seemed she was asleep. Riko went over and gently shook her shoulder to wake her. “Hanamaru, if you sleep here, you’ll miss the bus home.“

“MmmmmMMmm…” With a drawn-out yet soft groan, Hanamaru lifted her head and yawned, slowly blinking her eyes open. “Riko…? Uwah, what time is it? I fell asleep... zura…”

“It’s pretty late. We came to pick up Chika and Kanan, but…”

“Huh? Oh, those two zura... They left early, I think. Like, a while ago.”

“Oh, really? I guess something must’ve come up…”

“Ooor Chika-chi was so bad at studying that Kanan called it quits early~” Mari suggested, the hint of a snicker visible on her face.

“I… don’t think Chika’s that bad. Well, unless she’s really distracted with something. Then maybe, but… well, I guess all we can do is head home for now.”

“Nuh uh~ You were looking forward to seeing Chika-chi, and I was totes looking forward to seeing Kanan.”

Riko wasn’t sure she cared for where this was going, but she thought perhaps that was judging too quickly just because it was Mari having an idea. So she let her continue, albeit a bit reluctantly. “I guess, but where is this going, exactly?”

“We’ll surprise-visit them! Although I guess for Chika-chi, it’s not that surprising since you live right next to each other. And I visit Kanan so much that’s not much of a surprise either~”

“Then why call it that…?”

“Anyways! We’ll do that!”

“I think they were gonna go to Kanan’s family’s shop together zura…”

“Ohh, I wonder if they’re still together. We’ll swing by there first, and if Chika’s already gone then I’ll leave you to go chase after her, Riko-chi!”

“I’m not chasing after anyone, but yeah, okay. I don’t really see why this is being made into such a big deal in the first place. If you want to go see Kanan, can’t you just do it yourself…?”

“I have my reasons~”

The bus ride was uneventful… a bit too much so, as Riko felt she had to speak to break the quiet once Hanamaru had left. While they were in a subunit of Aqours together and all, talking alone with Mari felt… weird.

“Chika’s probably gone home by now…”

“Riko-chi, I think you need to make a move sooner or later.”

“...What?” Well that seemed to be completely unrelated to what Riko had said, but okay. “A move?”

“On Chika-chi! You’re into her, right?”

“H-Huh? That’s… I-I mean. You don’t have to say it so bluntly… but… y-yes.”

“And you haven’t made a single move on her! If you don’t do that eventually, what do you think’s gonna happen? Maybe she will first, but what if she _doesn’t_?”

Geez, this was all out of nowhere. How was Riko expected to… make a _move_ on Chika on such short notice? “I see your point, but… why now?”

“Mm? Oh, no reason in particular. Or, well… I’ve been getting pretty impatient for Kanan to make a move on me, so I was thinking if you and Chika-chi went ahead and got together, that’d inspire her to do the same~?”

“Mari…” At… least she was honest…? Although really, it didn’t make Riko feel any better about what Mari had said. “Wouldn’t that be considered using me? Both Chika and I, for that matter. And that’s assuming she even likes me back.”

“You’re worrying about the details too much! Come on, you said yourself that you like her. I’m just trying to give you a little push, that’s all. It’s not like you have to confess your undying love for her _today_. But what if someone else grabs Chika up while you’re pretending you’re not madly in love? Like You or… Hanamaru or… I don’t know, Sarah?”

“Are any of those really competition…? Although I do get where you’re coming from; I just don’t really know where to start. I did tell her I love her once, but… well, I think she figured I meant as a friend. Which I kind of did, but...”

“Not completely?”

Riko nodded. It was then that their stop came up, so Mari pulled Riko up out of her seat.

“Like I saaaid, don’t worry so much. I really doubt Chika’s gonna be all picky about how you confess to her if she really likes you.”

“ _If_ she likes me…”

“Details~” She practically dragged Riko off of the bus, smile unfading. “I do get it, though.”

“Do you…?” Riko wasn’t sure how serious Mari was being. She tugged slightly on the other’s hold of her hand, but she rather quickly gave up on pulling away from her.

“Mhm! I’ve tried making moves on Kanan and telling her how I felt a few times, and eeevery time she just took it as a joke. I guess I kid too much for my own good? Hehe, oopsie.”

That… sounded completely accurate to Mari and Kanan, if Riko was being honest. If anything, that seemed worse than Riko’s situation…

She stayed quiet as Mari led her up the road, then over towards Kanan’s shop. Riko had of course been here before, but not very often. She supposed that even if Chika had already left, it couldn’t hurt to say hi to Kanan… then probably walk all the way back home…

…

Why was Mari like this.

Still, by a stroke of luck, they both spotted orange and blue together upon arrival. Riko was a bit surprised, considering it was about to start getting dark by this point, but she wasn’t about to complain.

Well. Until she noticed the suggestive position the two were in, with Chika backed up against a wall and Kanan leaning in much _too_ closely to her. It looked like they were about to…

Before Riko could fully register the sight, the sound of Mari dropping her bag startled her a bit. Shit, was Mari okay? Before she could say or do anything, however, she felt Mari’s hand let go of hers… and slide around her waist?

Mari pulled Riko close and kissed her-- a bit roughly for Riko’s liking, at that… Er, no, that definitely wasn’t the part she should be concerned about. Even still, if she was going to do that, she could stand to be more considerate.

It was only when Mari pulled away when Riko, the confused mess that she was, realized Mari’s tongue was just in her mouth. And also Chika and Kanan were looking right at them.

“R… Riko?”

Shit.


	3. Chapter 3

Chika ran away.

Riko and Mari kissing like that… Chika was sure it was just a misunderstanding of some kind. Maybe…

Well, she supposed she wasn’t completely sure.

“Chika, wait up!”

She should have at least stayed long enough to find out, but her body had moved on its own. She just… couldn’t be there any longer.

Maybe it also had something to do with the watery state of her eyes. A few stray tears escaped as she ran, but she ignored them the best she could.

“Chi-kaa! I’m not-- as good at running a-as you…!”

There really was no sense in crying over this. It wasn’t like Riko was  _ hers  _ or--

A forceful thumping noise and a girly cry snapped Chika out of her thoughts, and she began to slow down, coming to a full stop as she looked behind her shoulder. That voice was…

“R-- Riko! Are you okay!?” Other worries thrown to the side as concern for Riko’s well-being replaced them, she rushed back to Riko’s side, kneeling down to make sure she wasn’t badly hurt. “G-Gah, this is my fault for running, I’m so sorry--”

“Huh? N-- No, no, it’s fine. I didn’t hurt myself that badly, and… Chika, are you okay?”

“Wh-What are you talking about? You’re the one who fell…” Chika blinked a few times to get the blurry out of her eyes. “A-- Aren’t you bleeding? You must’ve hit the ground pretty hard…”

Riko frowned, and that alone made Chika want to run and hide away again already. She took Chika’s arm, keeping her still, and stared into her eyes. “...Aren’t you crying?”

“Eh? Th-- That’s… um…”

“Is it because of me and Mari?”

Chika stayed quiet. While it was true and she really did want to let Riko know how she felt, how could she when she was in a position like this? Although it was probably obvious by this point, meaning Riko found out in one of the most embarrassing and least romantic ways possible--

While Chika internally freaked the hell out, she barely noticed Riko sighing, crawling over to her, and pressing their lips together into a kiss. That part certainly got Chika’s attention.

It was a soft, pleasant kiss. It might be more pleasant if Chika didn’t taste her own tears, and she worried that Riko did too, but the other pulled away slowly and with a smile.

A nervous, awkward smile, but a smile nonetheless.

“I don’t really know why Mari did that, to be honest, but I can tell you there’s nothing between us. I think she just panicked when we saw you and Kanan…”

“Huh? Wh-What were we doing?”

“You didn’t notice? The way she had you against the wall was…” Riko’s cheeks flushed a rather pink color as she searched for the word to describe the scene. “...Suggestive?”

“R-- Really? Now that you mention it… I guess, a little…”

“I am a bit curious as to what you  _ were  _ actually doing, myself…”

Now it was Chika’s turn to blush. Given the girl in front of her was the reason she and Kanan were doing what they were doing, that would be pretty embarrassing to explain… but it wasn’t like there was much to hide after Riko literally just kissed her, was there? “...Kanan was helping me practice how to ask you out.”

Riko laughed. Chika only whined at that, really not having wanted  _ that  _ to be her reaction to the whole thing. “I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry! That’s… actually really cute. And sweet.”

Still rather flustered, but also feeling way too many gay feelings to put into words in that moment, Chika could only stare at Riko. Riko looked back at her, smiling, but that expression suddenly turned into a grimace. Chika realized they were still sitting on the ground.

“A-- Ah! Are you okay? I mean, you said you were, but…”

“Oh, I just scraped my knee is all…” Riko moved back a bit so her knee was no longer right up against the concrete, and Chika frowned. Despite Riko’s attempts to make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal, the scrape she referred to was a bloody mess. Riko, too, seemed to realize this upon actually looking at it, and nervously averted her gaze from the wound.

So Chika did the obvious thing one would do. She slid her arms underneath Riko’s legs and back and stood, lifting her up. Riko let out a startled squeak, but Chika had already started walking.

“We’re not  _ that  _ far from home, so I’ll carry you the rest of the way.”

“Wh-What? You really don’t need to do that… and besides, I’m not done talking to you.”

“Mm? I didn’t say I was taking you to  _ your  _ home.” 

Riko gave a stutter in response before going quiet, then leaning on Chika. That brought a smile to Chika’s face, and she chuckled.

The rest of the walk was peaceful and quiet.

Well, until they arrived at Chika’s place and Shiitake started barking, causing Riko to let out an “eep” and latch even more closely to Chika. She may have been getting more used to dogs as of late, but she still wasn’t the best with barking…

Lucky for her, her orange savior protected her the whole way to Chika’s bathroom, even when one of Chika’s sisters spotted them and made a snide remark, to which Chika only responded with a roll of the eyes.

“Here you go!” Riko was sat down on the counter as Chika grabbed some things to clean up the wound. “Sorry about Mito-nee. She likes--”

“Embarrassing you, I know. She’s done it before.” Riko laughs at the simple pout she gets in response.

Chika sighs and gets to fixing up Riko’s knee. So, Riko kissed her. That was great-- fantastic, even. Chika wanted her to do it again. Or maybe for her to kiss Riko, instead. Either would work? Should she just do it? No, they should probably discuss this first. But… discuss what? Their relationship? Wasn’t there something already implied there when Riko kissed her? She must have done it because she liked Chika, right? She couldn’t think of any other explanation, but even so…

“Chika?”

She blinked. While she was lost in her thoughts, Riko’s knee was bandaged and everything before she knew it. She’d just sort of been staring. Again.

“Sorry,” Chika mumbled.

“Hmm… What are you thinking about?”

“Kissing you.”

“O-- Oh.” Crap. She didn’t mean to say that. “...Did you want to do that again?” owo?????

“Y-Yeah! I do! But…”

“But?”

Chika poked her fingers together. Her crush didn’t quite seem to see the issue here… “Um… Well, first… Riko, can you walk?”

“Eh? Yes, I’m not hurting much anymore. Why--  _ eep--? _ ”

Chika took Riko’s hand and pulled her out of the bathroom and to her bedroom, then turned towards Riko and took her other hand as well.

“Um, so, Riko… I like you! N-No, no, I-- I love you!” She tried to say it as firmly as she could, and she grinned upon seeing the recognition in Riko’s face. “Wanna go out?”

Instead of saying anything, Riko pulled her hands away from Chika’s and stepped forward, putting them instead on Chika’s shoulders as she kissed her once again.

“Mmph! Riko, that’s not fair!”

Riko giggled. “What isn’t fair?”

“I said it, so you should too…”

“Oh, should I? And here I recall telling you I loved you quite some time ago… or did you forget?” She smirked as Chika’s face turned bright red, and the poor girl scrambled for a response.

“Wh-Wha-- I mean, no, but--”

“I’m just teasing, Chika. I love you. And yes, I will go out with you, so will you kiss me already?”

“...! Yes ma’am!”

Riko laughed against Chika’s lips as she had her fourth kiss ever, and Chika wondered what she ever did to deserve for such a cute, pretty, positively  _ shining  _ miracle to walk into her life.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this whole fic is a cheesefest i'm so sorry

It was a couple of days after Mari had… made a regrettable decision in randomly kissing Riko, one could say. 

“Ka-naaan! Stop ignoring me!”

“I’m not  _ ignoring  _ you, Mari. I said I’m busy.”

Things weren’t exactly going great with Kanan.

Riko had, surprisingly, not been very upset with her-- nor had Chika. They both seemed a lot more occupied with each other, the two having apparently started dating after the whole ordeal. While that had been Mari’s goal from the beginning, it most certainly didn’t have the effect she’d hoped on Kanan.

Yeah, she  _ wasn’t _ going to be asking Mari out anytime soon.

“You’re totally ignoring me! You have been for the past two days!”

“I’ve been  _ busy  _ for the past two days.”

“Come on! I didn’t bring it up during class or practice because I knew you’d get upset, but this is obviously about the thing with Riko-chi, isn’t it?”

Kanan side-eyed Mari. She’d been following Kanan persistently ever since idol practice had ended, although that wasn’t really anything new given that they often went home on the same bus… despite Mari’s parents constantly telling her they’d “prefer” for her to go by car instead.

“What, you mean you kissing her? How is that any of my business?”

“Well, I dunno! Maybe you might possibly… I don’t know…  _ like  _ me or something?”

Kanan stopped and turned to Mari. She really didn’t like the look Kanan was giving her. It was just a cold frown and slightly furrowed brow; Kanan’s “I’m upset so don’t talk to me” expression.

It was usually just used in regards to Mari, who didn’t much like Kanan’s approach of not talking about problems and refusing to even try resolving them. So it wasn’t that effective on her, but god did it hurt to see.

“Don’t you think that’s a little self-centered to assume?”

“But you’re not denying it.”

“Look, I need to help Chika study today. Can we do this later?”

Mari pouted, resisting the urge to stomp her foot on the floor like a child throwing a tantrum. Kanan was hardly taking her seriously to begin with; she never would if Mari did  _ that _ . “This is more important!”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, Kanan. If I left it up to you to decide when we talk things out, it’d never happen. That’s why we spent two years apart!”

“Mari, that was because I was--”

“Yes, I know you were looking out for me-- because you know  _ so _ much better for me than I do! You’re not my  _ mother _ , Kanan.”

“H-- Hey, will you quit yelling? You’re attracting attention…”

“I didn’t even  _ want  _ to go study abroad. You knew that-- Dia knew that--”

Kanan took Mari’s hand and, without warning, pulled her along to somewhere else, away from all of the other students staring at them in the hallway.

Mari continued without care to this or to their surroundings, “If you’re going to be mad at me, just say it! You’re never honest with me, and it’s, like, really starting to tick me off!”

She was taken into an empty classroom, and Kanan shut the door behind them. “Mari.”

“ _ What _ .”

Kanan sighed, running a hand through her hair and somewhat messing up her ponytail. Mari kept quiet, if only because she wanted to know whether or not Kanan was actually going to have the conversation with her that they needed to have. “Where do I start…?”

As much as Mari was tempted to say,  _ “With your love confession to me; duh!” _ she refrained.

“Mari, I’m sorry.”

...Eh? An apology wasn’t quite what she expected, if she was being honest. Completely called for, she thought, but-- “Sorry for what?”

“For… well, for one, the whole… studying abroad thing. I didn’t notice it at first because of the way you acted, but you really seemed to hate being out there.”

“Oh… I didn’t think we’d be bringing this up again,” Mari had to comment, given that Kanan had seemed content to forget about it after they’d made up and rejoined Aqours.

“You’re the one who brought it up first.”

“Hm. Well, it’s not like I hated studying abroad. It wasn’t much fun, and I was pretty  _ depresso _ , but that was because I had to leave you and Dia  _ and  _ my favorite school and town in the whole wide world to do it.”

“No one was forcing you…”

“You sure about that? You two clearly wanted me to go, and that’s pretty much the whole reason you decided to stop being idols, right?”

“Well… I-I’m sorry, like I said. I really didn’t know you cared as much as you did about Aqours at the time. Especially since I pushed you into joining at first.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad that you understand now… although I appreciate that you finally apologized. Took you long enough~” Mari giggled. “Although that’s not really the main issue at hand right now, is it?”

“...Yeah, I guess it isn’t.”

Silence overtook them for a good moment, Kanan seeming quite unsure as to what to say. Mari was beginning to think she might have to steer the conversation herself, but just as she was about to speak up, Kanan did instead.

“Why  _ did  _ you kiss Riko?”

“Oh, that? Ummm, thing is, I… did it on impulse!”

“What…?”

Mari chuckled awkwardly. “Well, when I saw you and Chika-chi looking all flirty and lovey-dovey, I can’t lie; I got mega jealous and, like… did the first thing I could think to do, which I guess was try to make you jealous back? Tee hee oopsie… I totally regretted it as soon as I did it, though!”

“O-Oh. Well. Talk about honest…”

“Unlike a certain someone~”

Kanan rolled her eyes, but her expression was becoming a lot softer than it had been previously. “I guess I can see how what Chika and I were doing could look bad. I was just helping her think of how to ask Riko out… although it seems like they figured that out for themselves.”

“Hmhm, so Riko-chi told me~”

“Anyways… Uh… You said you were jealous? How… so, exactly? Did you--”

“Ah ah, Kanan, this isn’t a one-way trade of information. If you want me to answer that, you have to answer one of my questions~”

Kanan grimaced a bit, but she reluctantly nodded in compliance. “Fine, I guess that’s fair. What question?

“So, about you getting all mad and ignoring me. Were  _ you  _ jealous~?”

“N-- ...Maybe. I mean… yeah, I guess. Probably.”

Huh. Kanan seemed pretty uncertain, didn’t she? “Mmmm… Close enough. Your turn to ask something, then.”

“...Were you just jealous I was flirting with someone, or… jealous  _ I _ was flirting with someone?”

Mari tilted her head. “ _ Que? _ ”

“I-I mean, like, was it just because, like, your friends were flirting and you don’t have anyone to do that with, or because uh, it was me specifically and you wanted to be flirted with by, uh, me…?”

“Kanan, you seem flustered.”

“I’m-- I’m not! I’m just wondering.”

“Hmm… I thought it was obvious, to be honest… but since you really don’t seem to know, I’ll tell you. I tooo-tally want my BFF Kanan to flirt with me lots and pin me against the wall~!”

“M-Mari!”

“Hehe~ My turn! Do  _ you  _ want to flirt with me lots and pin me against the wall?”

“No way! I mean-- Ugh… I don’t know!”

Hmm. Mari wasn’t completely sure whether this was getting anywhere or not, but Kanan at least seemed to be answering honestly… “You don’t know?”

“I know it probably sounds stupid, but… I don’t know what I want? I get a lot of… weird feelings with you. Especially when you get all affectionate… Whenever I think of something like flirting with you or dating you…” With a growing blush on her face, Kanan averted her eyes. “I don’t really get them.”

...How on Earth could Kanan be so cute and yet so frustratingly dense at the same time?

“You’ve thought about dating me?”

“Ch-- Chika’s the one who brought it up.”

“Hmm. Sounds like a crush,” Mari replied bluntly.

“That’s-- I don’t… I mean, it’s… not impossible,” Kanan awkwardly admits, “but I don’t know if liking someone usually makes a person feel like throwing up when they’re around them.”

“There  _ is  _ a reason they call it ‘lovesickness’.”

“But-- But we’re best friends.”

Mari rolled her eyes. “So are Chika and You-- the only difference is that You’s crush isn’t requited.”

“...Wait, You has a crush on Chika?”

“Oh my god, just kiss me you big dense idiot.”

“H-Huh? Wait, hold o--” Unsurprisingly, Mari didn’t listen and pulled Kanan into a kiss anyways. And, seeing that Kanan stopped trying to pull away pretty quickly, she held the kiss.

It lasted a lot longer than the one with Riko. Mari, then, was the one to break it off as well.

“So, can I possibly make my feelings any  _ more  _ clear?”

Kanan quietly shook her head.

“Still feel like throwing up?”

“Uh… it… lessened. When you kissed me.”

Mari grinned. “Think doing it more will make it totally go away?”

“You’re acting pretty nonchalant about stealing my first kiss…”

She did already steal one person’s first, so why not another? Of course, she didn’t say that out loud. Mari wasn’t tone-deaf. “I figured it’d help you figure out your feelings is all."

Kanan frowned, placing a finger uncertainly over her own lips. “So you like me?”

“Duh. I wanted you to be the one to say it first, but since you’re a biiig ol’ dummy and couldn’t even tell how you felt…”

“Mm…” Kanan pondered this, crossing her arms. “...Guess I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my life with you…” It was said in a quiet mumble that Mari could hardly hear. Was Kanan talking to herself?

“Huh?”

“Nothing. I think this whole thing did give me a better idea of how I feel about you, though. That’s what you’ve been wanting to hear, right?”

“Oho? You’ve got that right; lay it on me, babe!”

“Babe? At least wait until we’re dating to call me that…”

“Kanaaan, come ooonnnn, will you just--” A pause. “Wait, until we’re--?”

Kanan chuckled. “Yes, Mari, I like you. And yes, I will go out with you.”

“Wai-- Wha-- K-Kanan, no fair!” Mari pouted, but that just made Kanan laugh even more. “Don’t you laugh at me! You’re the one who couldn’t even tell you had a crush on me ‘till I kissed you!”

“And you refused to tell me  _ your  _ feelings until you knew mine. I think that makes us both laughable messes.”

“Oh,  _ shush _ , you.”

“Make me.”

Kanan grinned at the appearance of a rare blush on Mari’s cheeks. She wasn’t quite so smug when Mari affectionately jumped her afterwards, but she certainly wasn’t unsatisfied.

Elsewhere, Chika wondered why Kanan was running nearly an hour late to their study session.


End file.
